Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Publication
    Chelating C4-bound imidazolylidene complexes via oxidative addition of imidazolium salts to palladium(0)
    Oxidative addition of donor-functionalised 4-iodoimidazolium salts to palladium(0) provides a selective route for the preparation of chelating abnormal N-heterocylic carbene complexes and enables the introduction of a variety of donor groups. The activation of the C4 position does not necessitate the imidazolium C2 position to be protected, leaving this site available for further modification. While metallation of the unsubstituted C2 position of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand was unsuccessful when palladium was bound to the C4 carbon, sequential metallation of first the C2 position via transmetallation followed by C4–I oxidative addition afforded a dimetallic complex comprising two palladium centres bridged by a single NHC ligand.
    Scopus© Citations 37  555
  • Publication
    Palladium carbene complexes for selective alkene di- and oligomerization
    A series of palladium complexes were synthesized that comprise three sterically different C,N-bidentate coordinating NHC-pyridine ligands (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene). In one set, the pyridine and the carbene are linked by a flexible CH2 group (a), in the other two sets, the two ligand units are directly linked and feature a shielding mesityl substituent on the carbene and either an unsubstituted pyridine (b) or a xylyl-substituted pyridine unit (c). Investigation of the reactivity of cationic complexes [Pd(C^N)Me(NCMe)]+, 6, analogues to Brookhart’s α-diimine system, towards alkenes showed a strong correlation between the catalytic activity and selectivity and the ligand setting. While 6a was inactive in ethylene conversion, 6b afforded low-molecular weight olefins (oligomerization), and 6c produced exclusively butene (dimerization). With styrene as substrate, exclusive dimerization occurred with all three complexes. Steric and electronic factors were identified that govern the disparate activity and selectivity, and that allow for efficient tailoring of the catalytic performance.
      549Scopus© Citations 57
  • Publication
    N-heterocyclic carbene bonding to cobalt porphyrin complexes
    N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) coordination to a cobalt(III) center embedded in a porphyrin scaffold has been accomplished by decarboxylation from N,N’-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate in the presence of Co(TPP)Cl (TPP = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin). The distal chloride ligand in the resulting complexes Co(NHC)(TPP)Cl was successfully substituted with imidazoles and alcohols. Single crystal X-ray diffraction of the latter complexes Co(NHC)(TPP)(ROH) (R = Me, Et) revealed a pronounced ruffling of the porphyrin macrocycle due to the two ortho methyl groups in the carbene ligand and because of the relatively short distance between the cobalt center and the carbene ligand. Spectroscopic investigations support a substantial porphyrin dearomatization upon NHC bonding.
    Scopus© Citations 34  959
  • Publication
    Iridium, ruthenium, and palladium complexes containing a mesoionic fused imidazolylidene ligand
    Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine consisting of a pyridine fused to an imidazolium salt at the imidazolium N1–C2 bond and hence protected from forming normal imidazole-2-ylidene complexes undergoes selective activation of the C5–H bond with Ag2O, i.e. at the imidazolium carbon that is proximal to the pyridine nitrogen. While the silver carbene complex is unstable, transmetallation with [IrCp*Cl2]2, [RuCl2(cym)]2, and [PdCl(allyl)]2 afforded stable mesoionic carbene complexes. Two iridium(III) complexes containing one fused carbene ligand and one palladium(II) complex containing two carbene ligands at the metal centre were structurally characterized. The absence of substituents adjacent to the carbene carbon prevents wingtip group activation, and it imparts a reduced stability of the complexes in particular under (mildly) acidic conditions.
    Scopus© Citations 14  426
  • Publication
    Platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes stabilized by abnormal/mesoionic C4-bound dicarbenes
    Platinum(II) complexes comprising abnormal diimidazolylidene ligands were synthesized from cis-PtMe2(DMSO)(2) using microwave-assisted double C-H bond activation. NMR analysis revealed an unusual solvolysis process, induced by coordinating solvents such as DMSO and MeCN, which has not been observed in related normal dicarbene complexes. NMR and IR spectroscopy and crystallographic analysis of the mono-substituted DMSO complex indicate a sulfur-bonding of the DMSO ligand to the platinum(II) center. Analysis of the DMSO exchange kinetics provided for the first time a quantitative measure of the trans effect of abnormal carbene ligands. The kinetic exchange rate in these bidentate abnormal dicarbene complexes is 0.050(+/- 2) s(-1) and thus similar to analogous platinum(II) complexes containing phenylpyridine, yet significantly slower than that induced by pyridylidene pyridine. Reaction of the dicarbene platinum(II) complexes with PhICl2, Br-2 and I-2 afforded the corresponding platinum(IV) complexes. Linkage isomerism of the Pt-IV-bound DMSO was observed when the bromination reaction was performed in DMSO solution. Moreover, solvolysis was less pronounced in the platinum(IV) complexes than in the corresponding platinum(II) analogues.
    Scopus© Citations 33  547
  • Publication
    [Ru(bpy)3]2+ analogues containing a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand
    A synthetic procedure is described that provides access to [Ru(bpy)3]2+ analogues in which one bpy ligand is replaced by a C,N-bidentate coordinating carbene-benzimidazole ligand (bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine). These new complexes were prepared by first installing the chelating carbene ligand onto a Ru(cymene) platform and subsequent ligand substitution using bpy or terpy (terpy = 2:2’,6’:2’’-terpyridine). The carbene ligand significantly affects the optical properties of the complex and lowers the ruthenium(II) oxidation potential substantially. Such modifications may be advantageous for the development of new classes of photosensitizer materials.
    Scopus© Citations 52  959